Shownotes
- Lucy introduces herself and why she decided to join the Royal Navy as a Warfare Officer
- Her first introduction to boxing and why she loved it from the start
- Being the only female boxer on board and training with the guys
- Why women’s boxing was banned and she wasn’t allowed to compete at the Navy Championships
- Having the ban on women boxing being over-turned and her first fight for the Women’s National Finals
- Handling the negativity that comes from being a female boxer
- Remembering back to her first time of getting into the ring to fight
- Why the nerves disappear as soon as the bell goes
- Fighting at the The National Championships and what she learnt from losing
- How failure has helped her in her career
- Understanding more about weight categories and why it does matter
- Getting female boxers into the olympics and how it happened in London 2012
- Having to retire from the GB Squad and why the Olympics was bitter sweet
- Deciding on which weight category to go for and how she made the decision
- The impact on her life and how she continued to train to be on the GB squad
- Retiring from boxing and why she had to listen to her body
- Looking back over the past few years and what she learnt from that time period
- Advice for women about boxing and why you should go for it!
- The women boxers at Rio and the rumours about the weight category changing for Tokyo 2020
- Starting a boxing club - Poseidon
Lucy’s Blog - https://punchingthrough.com
Come and say hi to me on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL
A massive thank you to everyone who has become a patron! You too can support the Tough Girl Podcast from $2 to $5 per month! CLICK HERE!
Future Events!
20th August - Tough Girl Tribe Trip to Snowdonia
27th - 31st August - Emma & Sarah - Hadrians Wall Adventure
1st - 4th September - Base Camp Festival, Peak District
Take a listen to these related podcast episodes…
- Stacey Copeland (British Boxer 2015 Nations Cup Gold Medallist)
- Lois Pryce (Adventure Travel Film Festival)
- Belinda Kirk (Base Camp Festival)
- Sarah Outen (One of the speakers at Base Camp Festival)
- Emma Timmis (My running companion for Hadrian's’ Wall)
Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Visit www.toughgirlchallenges.com for more information!
Maggie was always in trouble before she found rugby at age 14. During this podcast we learn more about Maggie, her rugby career and how playing rugby gave her a new found confidence and changed the direction of her life.
Maggie retired in 2014 after winning the Rugby World Cup, before that she’d represented her country an impressive 74 times! Scored 28 tries, and helped England win a record breaking 7 consecutive Six Nations crowns. Maggie is an ambassador for the “Spirit of Rugby” program as well as being a regular commentator on live rugby matches for Sky Sports & the BBC.
Shownotes
-An update on what’s been happening in women rugby over in Rio
-Why Maggie is visiting my home town….Liverpool as an ambassador for Spirit of Rugby
-How Maggie first got into rugby and what’s it like being in the field and dealing with the big tackles
-How rugby impacted on her confidence at a young age
-Why having someone believe in her made all the difference in her rugby career
-The importance of having visible role models in the media and how they inspired her
-Setting her first BIG goal at 14 to play rugby for England
-Wearing the England shirt and playing on the international stage for the first time and how she approached that challenge
-Dealing with pressure and why you treat pressure as a privilege
-How to keep a winning mindset going
-Dealing with failure and the process they had to go through to come out on the other side even stronger
-Having the difficult conversations in order to improve the team
-Winning the BBC - Sports Personality Team of the Year
-Why Maggie is known as “Maggie the Machine”!
-What Maggie has learnt from playing rugby and why she decided to retire after the World Cup in 2014
-Trying out athletics and wanting to make it to Rio
-How women’s rugby has changed over the years and why you should give rugby a go!!
Maggie is on twitter @MaggieAlphonsi I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL
A massive thank you to everyone who has become a patron! You too can support the Tough Girl Podcast from $2 to $5 per month! CLICK HERE!
Future Events!
12th - 14th August - Adventure Travel Film Festival, London
20th August - Tough Girl Tribe Trip to Snowdonia
27th - 31st August - Emma & Sarah - Hadrian's Wall Adventure!
1st - 4th September - Base Camp Festival, Peak District
Take a listen to these related podcast episodes…
- Catherine Spencer - Former England Women’s Rugby Union player & Captain
- Lois Pryce (Adventure Travel Film Festival)
- Belinda Kirk (Base Camp Festival)
- Sarah Outen (One of the speakers at Base Camp Festival)
- Emma Timmis (My running companion for Hadrian's’ Wall)
Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!
In 2012, Lizzie decided to take a career break and she spent nine months eco-adventuring in remote locations all over the world. She hiked through the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces of south west China before travelling to Mongolia!
Shortly after returning to the UK in 2013 she was unexpectedly diagnosed with cancer which re-defined her and, ultimately, gave her a new sense of purpose.
Shownotes
- Growing up in Tenerife, being sporty and loving the outdoors from a young age
- Being surrounded by inspirational people at work and how it encouraged her to take a career break
- Spending time in Russia, China & Mongolia & the challenges she faced on a daily basis
- How plastic pollution first came to her attention
- Travelling by train on the Trans-Siberian railway - being offered chicken feet & vodka!
- Dealing with vulnerability while travelling in Mongolia & learning how to take a step back from situations and assess them
- Heading back to the UK and dealing with the reality of being diagnosed with cancer at twenty five, and how it impacted the direction of her life
- How she learned to focus on the short term goals and milestones
- What she said to herself while she was lying in the hospital bed
- Quitting her job, not having a plan and why you can never have a plan
- Friends, family, nature and how her values changed
- Why she started paddle boarding as a way of restoring her health and fitness
- How the #SuperSUPEngland challenge came about
- Why she decided to take matters into her own hand to help people understand the scale of plastic pollution in our waterways
- The challenges she faced on the waterways and how she kept on going during the tough days
- Having great adventures in the UK & working as an Ordnance Survey Champion!
- What she’s learnt from her paddle boarding experience
Learn more about Lizzie by visiting her website & following her on twitter @Lizzo010
Support - Water Aid & Water Trek
Help the Tough Girl Podcast get to 100,000 downloads by 4th August 2016! - Tell your friends about the Tough Girl Podcast!!! Share these inspirational stories!
A massive thank you to everyone who has become a patron! You too can support the Tough Girl Podcast from $2 to $5 per month! CLICK HERE!
Events!
6th August - Tough Girl Tribe Trip to Snowdonia
10th August - Make it Happen - Networking Evening for Ambitious Women
12th - 14th August - Adventure Travel Film Festival, London
20th August - Tough Girl Tribe Trip to Snowdonia
1st - 4th September - Base Camp Festival, Peak District
Take a listen to these related podcast episodes…
- Emily Penn (Skipper, ocean advocate and artist dedicated to studying environmental challenges in the most remote parts of our planet)
- Lois Pryce (Adventure Travel Film Festival)
- Belinda Kirk (Base Camp Festival)
- Sarah Outen (One of the speakers at Base Camp Festival)
- Emma Timmis (My running companion for Hadrian's’ Wall)
ALL THE LINKS YOU NEED!
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/_tough_girl
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/toughgirlchallenges/
- Blog/Website - www.toughgirlchallenges.com/
- FaceBook - https://www.facebook.com/ToughGirlChallenges/
- Tumblr - http://toughgirlchallenges.tumblr.com
- Pinterest - https://uk.pinterest.com/Tough101/
- Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ToughGirlPodcast?ty=h
Renee McGregor is a leading sports and eating disorder specialist dietitian. She is accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council, the Sports and Exercise Nutrition Register, and is a member of the BDA’s Sports Nutrition Specialist Group.
With over 15 years' experience working in nutrition, Renee works with elite athletes, coaches and sport science teams to provide nutritional strategies to enhance sport performance and manage eating disorders.
She is the author of the best-selling book Training Food, which went straight to number one in Amazon's Fitness Training category in April 2015.
Renee is a regular contributor to health and fitness publications such as BBC Food, Triathlon 220 and Outdoor Fitness. Renee speaks at nutrition conferences across the globe, and was recently keynote speaker at the Sports Performance Conference at The University of Bath, and the Bone Health and Stress Fracture Conference at the Institute of Sport Exercise & Health.
Show notes
- What’s the difference between a dietician and a nutritionist and why it matters
- Where her passion for food, diet & nutrition came from
- How she developed her career and why it was important for her to continue her education while she had young children
- Growing up in an Asian family and her relationship with food, and how family impacted on it
- How the message around healthy eating has got everyone confused about what to eat
- Getting your nutrition right while training and how you can do this with a family
- Body image and why we shouldn’t all be trying to achieve just one body type
- Having young daughters and being a role model to them
- Why your attitude is so important
- The biggest myths that need to be debunked! Do carbs make you fat? - True or False?
- Lets talk about sugar….
- How much protein do you need?
- Health bloggers…..
- Being diagnosed with an auto immune disease and the impact its had on her life
- How’s best to recovery after a training session - is it a protein shake or a steak?
- Supplements and why you should be taking Vitamin D every day
- Training Food: Get the Fuel You Need to Achieve Your Goals - Before, During and After Exercise
Links
Renee Website
@mcgregor_renee I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL
Help the Tough Girl Podcast get to 100,000 downloads by 4th August 2016! - Tell your friends about the Tough Girl Podcast!!! Share these inspirational stories!
A massive thank you to everyone who has become a patron! You too can support the Tough Girl Podcast from $2 to $5 per month! CLICK HERE!
ALL MY LINKS!
✩ Twitter - https://twitter.com/_tough_girl
✩ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/toughgirlchallenges/
✩ Blog/Website - www.toughgirlchallenges.com/
✩ FaceBook - https://www.facebook.com/ToughGirlChallenges/
✩ Tumblr - http://toughgirlchallenges.tumblr.com
✩ Pinterest - https://uk.pinterest.com/Tough101/
Ann has dominated long-distance running for nearly two decades. During her career which spanned over 20 years, she’s broken 20 world records in distances ranging from 40 to 100 miles, qualified three times in the marathon for the US Olympic trials, won the Western States 100 14 times, and set a course record at the Leadville 100 that has stood for more than 20 years.
Ann now lives a quieter life in the country, in this podcast we get to go back in time to learn more about Ann and how she first got into running, why she’s so passionate about the sport and why she ensures she’s having fun!
Show notes
- Ann introduces herself in her own words
- How Ann first got her start into running
- Running her first six minute mile!
- Going back to high school when girls were not meant to run
- Dealing with failure at a young age and how it motivated her to perform
- Why hard work pays off
- Why being able to solve problems can make you a better ultra runner
- 6 weeks to train for her first 50 mile race at 25 years old and getting to meet her running idol
- Dealing with self doubt and how it motivates her to try harder
- Messing up her training by doing too much and how it took failure at Western States for Ann to learn from all her mistakes
- A brief history of Western States
- The Leadville 100 and dealing with pain and tiredness
- Why you need your own mantras when running
- The Ps in ultra running - Positive, Planning, Preparing, Pacing, Problem solving, Progressing
- Trying to stay in the moment and living in the now
- Her race strategy and why pacing was key
- Winning Comrades Marathon by 2 mins!
- Dealing with the loss of her mum and being a mentor for the runners she coaches
- Final words of advice for potential ultra runners
Links
Ann Trason - Website
Help the Tough Girl Podcast get to 100,000 downloads by 4th August 2016! - Tell your friends about the Tough Girl Podcast!!! Share these inspirational stories!
A massive thank you to everyone who has become a patron! You too can support the Tough Girl Podcast from $2 to $5 per month! CLICK HERE!
Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Emily is an oceans advocate, skipper and artist; a graduate of Cambridge University with a degree in Architecture; and Director of global organisation Pangaea Explorations.
She is the youngest and only female recipient of Yachtmaster of the Year, awarded by HRH Princess Royal after rounding the planet on the record-breaking biofuelled boat, Earthrace; spending 6 months living on a tiny Tongan island organising the largest ever community led cleanup; and discovering previously unknown oceanic gyres – huge areas of marine plastic pollution accumulation.
Her organisation, Pangaea Explorations, specialises in enabling scientists, filmmakers and everyday people to explore the most remote parts of our planet to collect data on global issues and develop solutions to the challenges facing today’s society.
Show notes
- Emily introduces herself and shares more about what she does and why she loves the ocean
- Joining the boat “Earthrace” at 21 and having the opportunity to travel the world.
- What Emily learnt about herself while traveling at such a young age and how it changed the direction of her life
- What the ocean taught her about living in the moment and why you need to reacts and respond to your external circumstances.
- Explaining the role of ocean advocate and what she does to create positive change
- Heading out to Tonga to help educate the people, work with the local government, and arranging a massive clean up of the coast line
- The Pangaea Exploration
- Studying the plastic pollution of the oceans and how micro plastics are impacting on the planet
- Exploring Greenland by sailing along the North West Passage & seeing the raw beauty of the Arctic
- Becoming a skipper and what she’s learnt about leadership from the role
- Her first big trans-atlantic crossing & the challenges she faced and overcame
- Feeling like a fraud and faking it till you make it
- Exploring Mindsets & why a shift in thinking can change the world
- Exploring the Mississippi
- Questions to ask yourself in order to find out your values
- Finding out what’s next for Emily and why she heading back to land
Links for Emily!
Emily Penn Website
Emily Penn twitter @EmilyPenn
Instagram @MissEmilyPenn
Emily Penn on Facebook
Come say hi to me on twitter - I’m @_TOUGH_GIRL
Help the Tough Girl Podcast get to 100,000 downloads by 4th August 2016! - Tell your friends about the Tough Girl Podcast!!! Share these inspirational stories!
A massive thank you to everyone who has become a patron! You too can support the Tough Girl Podcast from $2 to $5 per month! CLICK HERE!
Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Belinda has worked on numerous major international expeditions over the last 22 years; as a diver, field biologist, expedition leader, expedition manager, and award winning adventure film-maker.
She founded Explorers Connect with the belief, “there is an explorer in everyone and adventure is one of the best things in life”. Her goals are to; inspire and support the adventure community through collaboration and connections.
Show notes
- Having a wild childhood and growing up feral on a small island
- How the Duke of Edinburgh Award changed the direction of her life
- Making the decision when she was 18 years old to spend a year working and traveling in Africa
- Dealing with the challenges that Africa threw her way and why she decided to continue travelling
- Why heading off to Africa on her own was the best decision she ever made
- Leadership skills and what makes a good leader
- Her rowing challenge around Great Britain and getting a Guinness World Record at the same time
- Why she decided on this rowing challenge and why she needed to do something that she could fail at
- Why she set up Explorers Connect
- Advice about money and funding for expeditions
- The adventure industry and how it has changed over the years
- Why women are changing the adventure industry slowly and what you can do to help to keep the momentum going
- Final words of advice to inspire you to go on your own adventure and why you need to start now!!!
Links
- Wild Night Out
- Britain’s first adventure festival for grown-ups “Base Camp Festival”.
- Explorers Connect
- Belinda’s Website
Say hi to Belinda on twitter @ExplorersTweet - I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL
Help the Tough Girl Podcast get to 100,000 downloads by 4th August 2016! - Tell your friends about the Tough Girl Podcast!!! Share these inspirational stories!
The Explorers’ Grand Slam is the ultimate adventure challenge that involves climbing the world’s highest peaks on each of the seven continents as well as trekking to the geographic North and South poles.
Masha began her Explorers' Grand Slam challenge in October 2015 she has now scaled the world’s highest peaks on each of the seven continents – Everest (Asia), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Vinson Massif (Antarctica), Aconcagua (South America), Carstensz Pyramid (Australasia), Mt. Elbrus (Europe) and Denali (North America) as well as trekked to the geographic North and South poles.
The extraordinary demands of the challenge mean she's been pushed to the edge of her physical endurance and mental resilience. She's spent over a 100 days in a tent and spent three weeks trekking on skis to the North and South Poles in -40C weather and exposed herself to the “death zone” – the high altitude above 8,000 where there is not enough oxygen for humans to breathe.
Only two other people have completed the Explorers' Grand Slam challenge (including the two poles) in under a year and just 45 in total. The previous female world record title holder was Vanessa O’Brien who completed the record in 11 months. Masha did it in 8 months!
Show notes
- Early years and growing up and not being athletic!
- Falling in love with the mountains and getting that sense of achievement from adventure
- What the Explorers’ Grand Slam is and how it came about
- Negotiating time with the family to make time for the challenge
- Remembering back to taking the first step of the challenge
- The importance of having a sounding board
- What aspect of the challenge worried her the most and why
- Getting fit and building up her endurance
- Starting the Explorers Grand Slam with climbing Kilimanjaro in 24 hours
- Everest and attempting the summit
- Dealing with fragility and how it became a story about grit
- Teaming up with Lydia Bradey and deciding to climb or not with the potential for 50 mph winds on the way
- What they had to do, to remain safe on the mountain.
- Knowing your limits and why you need to put things into perspective
- Getting off Everest and why that can be the riskiest part
- Grit & Rock the charity, how it came about and why its so important for young women
- What Masha learned most about herself throughout this experience.
- What her children thought about her adventure and how its changed her children
Check out the Grit & Rock Website for more info!
A massive thank you to everyone who has become a patron! You too can support the Tough Girl Podcast from $2 to $5 per month! CLICK HERE!
You can listen to the Tough Girl Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud & Stitcher!
Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Love running? Do you want to take it to the next level? Fancy doing an ultra marathon?
Listen to Ellie as she shares her running journey from PE lessons in Dundee, her first half marathon, before moving over to Canada and starting to run to meet new people.
She’s gone on to win some of the most famous ultra races in the world, some of her race highlight include:-
-Comrades Marathon (89km) 1st place, South Africa. (2014, 6:18:15, downhill course)
-Western States 100 mile Endurance Run Course Record, California, USA. (2012, 16:47:19)
-Comrades 89km 2nd place, South Africa. (2012, 6:08:24, downhill course)
-IAU World 100km Champion, Gibraltar (2010, 7:29:05) and Doha, Qatar (2014, 7:30:48)
Show notes
- Learning more about her childhood and being sporty at a young age.
- Where it all started with the Great North Run at 21 years old
- The journey of how she made a career out of running
- Getting her first sponsorship in 2008 and how that helped with accountability
- Joining a more competitive running club.
- Making the transition from running the marathon to her first 50K
- Why having fun is so important while running
- Her running goals and how they impact on her races and her race strategy going forward
- Representing Great Britain and wanting to be the best she can be
- Her physical preparation and training back in 2010 and how it has changed over the years
- How ultra racing has changed and become more popular over the past few years
- Learning more about Comrades Marathon held in South Africa each year and why its such a special race.
- Her first Western States and it being her first 100 mile race
- Racing 950km in 2012 and being on a total roll with regards to wining races all over the world.
- Dealing with injury
- Her mental preparation for Comrades when she went back in 2014
- Why having a running coach is a good idea
- Her top tips for taking those first steps into running an ultra
You can learn more about Ellie by visiting her website or following her on Facebook.
Anna is based in London and back in the day she represented Great Britain at rowing, but after ‘retiring’ in her mid twenties, she started a “normal" job but the desire for adventure never left her.
In 2013 she set out to cycle 11,000 miles through each and every state of the USA, and most recently she became the first person to run the whole length of New Zealand. Along the Te Araroa trail. She ran it solo and unsupported, stopping off to speak to over 4,000 school children on the way.
Show notes
-Anna share more about her background and what it was like growing up in the McNuff Family!
-What it was like being the daughter of two Olympians
-Why she wanted to be an Olympian
-Representing Great Britain in rowing and making the decision to stop.
-Losing her sense of identity and deciding who she was and what she wanted to do next
-Entering the corporate world & being excited by it!
-Trying to fit adventures in around her work
-2013 - The urge for adventure became too much and she decided to scratch the itch!!
-Why you always have a choice!
-Making sacrifices to make her dream happen
-The highlights from cycling America - from Alaska, to the National Parks
-The challenges she faced during her cycle and how she overcame them.
-Coping with her emotions - The Snowball, The Doubtress, The Dream Dumpers
-The post adventure blues & how to deal with them
-Running the full length of New Zealand and how the challenge came about
-Her mental and physical preparation for the challenge - Making herself ‘bomb proof’!
-What she learnt most about her brain while out running
-#AnnaRuns
-Her “cheerleaders” only day!!!
-Why it was important for her to speak to children along the way to share her story with the goals of getting them excited about the planet.
-Advice around failure and why it’s about perception and perspective.
-Anna shares her mission for kids & adults
-Her future challenge - An exclusive on the Tough Girl Podcast!!!
Anna is 100% passionate about the positive impact adventure and sports can have on the lives of young people. Anna uses her human powered journeys as a platform to inspire and motivate children, to get outside, and get exploring the world they live in.
To learn more about Anna visit her website www.annamcnuff.com. Anna is also on twitter @AnnaMcNuff - Give her a shout out once you’ve listened to this episode!
A massive thank you to everyone who has become a patron! You too can support the Tough Girl Podcast from as little as $2 to $5 per month! CLICK HERE!
Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!
This episode has been sponsored by Four Athletics - for a 20% discount use the promo code ToughGirl20!
Jules is currently based in the UAE, she was the first female to start an adventure & travel company in the Middle East. After climbing her first mountain when she was 40, she decided to create Mountain High. For the past 13 years, she has been leading expeditions around the world, writing books, and giving motivational talks.
During this podcast Jules talks about the following:-
- Jules introduces herself and tells us how Mountain High came about
- Climbing her first mountain when she turned 40 and how it changed the direction of her life.
- Why age is a lifestyle and not just a number
- Her 40th birthday and the importance of “Zero Limit Birthdays”
- Why climbing mountains can be a great metaphor for life
- The “mountain high” moment and how it took her a year to gain the courage to start her company
- Trekking to base camp at Everest
- Advice and tips around courage and why courage is like a muscle you need to exercise and use on a regular basis.
- Why you have to know your - WHY!!
- Her first Arctic Expedition with 18 other women and what she learnt about her place in the world.
- Training a team of breast cancer survivors for a dragon boat race
- Visiting Tibet and being at high altitude.
- The success factor and the psychology of success
- The way of the Warrior!
- Tips & advice for starting off in meditation.
- Jules shares more about her daily routine and her rituals to help her achieve her goals.
- The Power of Three - Her mind, body & spirit.
- Dealing with FEAR - False Evidence Appearing Real - What are your fears?
- Writing her first book - Moving Mountains Discover the Mountain in You
To learn more about Jules - Please visit her personal website or her company website.
Jules is also on twitter @mountainhighme
A massive thank you to everyone who has become a patron! You too can support the Tough Girl Podcast from as little as $2 to $5 per month! CLICK HERE!
You can listen to the Tough Girl Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud & Stitcher!
Thank you to Four Athletics for their sponsorship!
Let me introduce you to Nikki Kimball!!
Nikki has had a phenomenal running career and she is a living legend in the world of Ultra running. She has been a member of the US 100K Team from 2001 to 2006, she has won the Western States 100 in 2004, 2006 and 2007. She has also won the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc in 2007 and the Marathon de Sables in 2014!
During this podcast we discuss; how she got into running, ultra running, dealing with pain and depression. Nikki also provides advice and tips to help you with your own personal challenges, whether that’s running or dealing with depression.
Show notes
- Nikki shares about her childhood and how she was a skier first, before transitioning into running
- Not feeling like a runner because of body image issues
- Accidentally running her first ultra!
- The race that scared her the most - Running the Long Trail in Vermont - A very technical, challenging 272 miles!
- Learning more about the off shoot of ultra running - Fastest Known Time running and the 3 ways you can do it.
- The physical training she does for ultra & the logic behind it
- Dealing with the pain, and her top tips for embracing the pain and using it to your advantage
- How to get the balance right between doing enough training without getting over trained.
- Tips for recovery after a hard training session or a 100 mile race. Why she’s advocating for recovery lounges.
- What she eats while training, and racing and why she made the transition from vegetarian to a meat eater!
- Why she changed from High Carb:Low Fat to Low Carb:High Fat
- Her Marathon des Sables experience in 2014 and why she wasn’t in the right frame of mind before the race
- Why she won’t race where the prize money isn’t equal for men and women
- Living with depression from a young age and how it’s impacted on her life.
- Trying to come off medication and not being able to succeed and how’s she combined exercise with medication to help her.
- Talking about depression and the steps she took to get help and why she’s talking about her own experiences.
- Being part of the documentary “Finding Traction” that followed her journey running the fastest known time on Vermont’s Long Trail (272 miles) – 5 days, 7 hrs, 42min
- Advice and tips for women who want to take up running.
- Discussing her favourite race and the reasons why!
- Talking about her race strategies,which involve having fun and being relaxed!
- Trainers - being sponsored and the number of trainers she goes through!!!
- The ultimate race & challenge she would like to do!
Connect with Nikki on Facebook you can also like - Tough Girl Challenges on Facebook !
Listen to this episodes on iTunes, Soundcloud or Stitcher! Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Show notes
- Sally shares how she first got into sailing and the pathway shetook to get to the Olympics in Beijing
- Sailing at university and how she moved from being a new memberof the crew to leading the team
- Deciding to become a professional sailor and how she followedher passion
- What was involved in the 6 year campaign of getting to theOlympics. How she kept motivated over the years
- The type of sailing she was doing and how it works in scoringfor the Olympics
- What she’s learnt about teamwork from sailing as part ofcrews
- Heading over to China, and dealing with the differentchallenges before the games even started.
- What happened in the the final medal race
- The learning Sally took away from that experience
- Taking a break from sailing and getting over the sense offailure and loss
- “The hardest sailing you will ever do” being a member of thefirst all female team for SCA in the Volvo OceanRace
- What it was like being out on the boat; the day to day routine,working for 4 hrs on, 4 hrs off, dealing with the pressure ofracing while out at sea and keeping the focus on driving the boatforward
- Learning as much as they could while sailing, and dealing withthe highs and lows while out at sea
- Dealing with set backs, never giving up and fighting all theway to the finish line
- The training they needed to do, to get as fit and strong aspossible before the race starts.
- Getting respect from the guys for the job they were doing
- The reasons behind the MagentaProject and what their aims are
- The challenges going forward especially around gainingsponsorship
- Why you should give sailing a go!
“Thank you for showing girls and women around the worldthat we can accomplish anything and to dream big. Your perservence,drive and commitment to this gruelling competition is inspiring.” Billie Jean King
The MagentaProject - aims to increase the participation of women atthe highest level of sailing and promote inclusion, diversity andpositive female role models in society at large.
The Tough Girl Blog was highly commended at the UK Blog Awards2016!
Check out the Tough Girl blog to learn more about theinspirational women on the Tough Girl Podcast
In 2003 Lois decided she’d had enough of working at the BBC and decided to leave it all behind to take a trip on her motorcycle. She headed to Alaska and started the twenty-thousand miles journey down to the southern most tip of South America. This was the start of many epic adventures.
During this podcast Lois shares the reasons behind the decisions she’s made, the highs, the lows, what she’s learnt on the way and why everyone should take a trip and go travelling.
Show notes
-Lois introduces herself and shares more of her story; how being a bored 29 year old, passing her motorcycle test and having itchy feed led to the adventure of a lifetime
-Deciding to make a big change in her life and how you can make that change
-Deciding to get her motorcycle licence and why she decided this was the way to see the world
-Planning and preparing for the 20,000 mile ride
-Dealing with FEAR - your own and others
-Why you do need to modify your behaviour and apply common sense to situations
-Crossing the border from California into Mexico
-Having a goal to keep you focused and something to aim for
-The challenges she faced while out on the road; crashes, breaking down, getting lost!
-What she learnt about herself while travelling
-Her feelings on getting to the end of the trip
-Taking on Africa - “The greatest motorcycle challenge in the world!”
-Why it’s always about the people the meet
-The logistic of travelling - Map reading, GPS systems, getting lost in big cities!
-Why she decided to go to Iran
-Her top tips for women who want to go travelling or go on an adventure!
Say hi to Lois on twitter @LoisPryce - I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL
Lois co-founded The Adventure Travel Film Festival with her husband. This will be happening in the UK on the 12-14th August - You can get your tickets HERE!
Julie Creffield is a women on a mission. She wants to get One Million women in the UK active and running. She’s focused on the women who don’t get any support, the women who may feel they’re too fat, too overweight, and too curvy to do exercise.
Julie has been providing people wrong over the years, she was told by a doctor she was “too fat to run” she wasn’t - she went on to run a marathon.
People have been telling her all her life she’s too fat to do things, she decided enough was enough. Just because you weren’t slim or you don’t fit the stereotypical image of what a women should look like doesn’t mean you can’t do exercise and Julie’s proof of this.
No matter your size, you’ll be able to relate to Julie and the message she’s spreading.
Show notes
- How the blog idea came about, and how its developed as Julie has grown more comfortable in her own skin
- Going back to start and finding out more about Julie and what drives and motivates her
- Getting the wake up call, when a child shouted “Run Fatty Run”
- Not having the confidence to join a running club, and being embarrassed about running outside.
- The far off dream of running a marathon…
- The discrimination of women based on their size. The judgement women are constantly under and why it can be easier to not run
- Why larger women need to be more visible. Why women of all sizes can get outside and run
- Her take on running clubs, but why they don’t necessarily work for working mothers with children.
- How being a part of a running club can help you become part of a community and can help with accountability.
- One Big Fat Run - A virtual 5K that takes place on the last Sunday of every month
- Why it’s about the participation at the end of the day!
- Her experience of running the London Marathon and what she learnt most about herself
- Top tips for women who want to get out there and start running.
- Her program; from couch to 5K and why its not just about the distance, but also about facing fears, creating new habits and becoming a runner.
- Facing individuals personal fears; from being seen in public, telling your partner you want to run, wearing lycra, to getting fitted for trainers for the first time.
- How running has changed her habits for the better
- The Brighton Marathon & why the race stands out for her
- Dealing with race pressure and how she learnt to cope with it
- Why she’s not concerned about loosing weight anymore - and why for her its about living a healthy and happy life at any size.
- Why its about living in the NOW!
- Confidence and why you need to understand your WHY!
- Richard Branson’s Virgin Business Competition - VOOM!
- Her mission - to get 1 Million overweight women in the UK running!
- Final words of advice and why you need to learn to trust yourself and make your own decisions - Put Health & Happiness at the forefront of your life.
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Tanith is your normal everyday women, she has her own business on the Wirral, she is a mother and at 44 had never been a runner.
That all changed on May 9th…..
Learn more about Tanith’s story and be inspired to take on your own personal challenge.
Show Notes
- Tanith introduces herself and shares why she wanted to do the ultimate running challenge - The London Marathon
- The importance of having a bucket list, the power of visualisation and how you can make any idea happen.
- Her first running experience, running her first mile and how she had no idea what she was doing!
- How she broke it down and started to take small steps in order to accomplish this massive goal she’d set herself
- Telling the world she was running the London Marathon when she didn’t even have a place!
- Doing it on her own and what she learnt on the way, taking advice from running forums, an app and why she decided to keep it really simple
“If you want to get good at something you have to keep doing it”
- Being a fitness instructor, but not really being fit. Drinking, smoking and how she’d never really embracing the fitness way of life
- How running started to help change her social patterns, and how running changed her habits for the better
- Completing her first half marathon and celebrating with a beer and a fag and thinking she was now an athlete!
- Why park runs are fantastic, whether your running at the front or the back!
- Why it’s not about the time - A mile is still a mile no matter how long it takes you!
- The mental battle of getting through her first half marathon and how this helped her to plan for the London Marathon
- Starting to get serious in January 2016 and the barriers she had to overcome; chronic fatigue, having an underachieve thyroid, bad knees, posture problems, a tilted pelvis, and her glutes not working!
- The thoughts running through her head before the marathon and the pressure she was putting on herself
- Marathon day and what she learned! The wall, lead legs, counting back from 300, why she didn’t care about the time, crossing the line, getting her medal & loving protein shakes!
- Her top tips to take you from the couch to running a marathon!
If you want to run the London Marathon in 2017 you can apply through the ballot between the 2nd - 6th May - CLICK HERE!
Sponsor Tanith - CLICK HERE! Tanith is raising money for Claire House Children's Hospital which offers respite and care to children and young people with life limiting medical conditions, as well as support for the entire family.
You can accomplish any challenge you set your mind to. What challenge are you going to accomplish this month?! Let me know - send me a tweet @_TOUGH_GIRL
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You can listen to the Tough Girl Podcast on the go via iTunes, Soundcloud & Stitcher!
The Marathon des Sables is one of the ultimate multi-stage endurance races in the world. It consists of running six marathons in six days across the Sahara desert. It’s been around for over 30 years and according to the Discover Channel has the reputation of being “one of the hardest footraces on earth”. It’s brutal, it's challenging and according to pretty much everyone I speak to, a crazy race to do!
During this podcast I will share my journey of the challenges I faced on getting to the start line and running the toughest footrace on earth!
Shownotes
- Introduction from Saira
- The MDS and when the seed got planted
- The start of the journey in September 2014
- Preparation for the race - How I changed my fitness routine and diet
- Weight lifting and how it changed my body
- Starting to feel tired, lethargic, aching legs, no energy…..over training
- My low point - not having the energy to get out of bed
- My body failing me & being so disappointed in myself
- Dealing with candida and having to drastically change my diet
- Having to postpone the MDS until April 2016
- Working with a Personal Trainer - Jack Clover from JC Performance
- Why its so important you listen to your body
- The importance of being specific with your training and not just training for training sake
- Heading to Australia for endurance training
- Dealing with issues during training such as a broken little toe!
- What I learned from training in the heat
- What a typical week of training looked like
- Kit & equipment (You can also watch videos on the Tough Girl - YouTube Channel for more info)
- Top tips for preparing your feet and why it’s so important
- Dealing with the nerves before the race, and why its important to be relaxed!
- Getting the hair right for the race!
- Travelling to the start of the race & what it was like out in the desert
- The importance of receiving e-mails and the extra motivation they provided - THANK YOU to everyone who wrote to me!!
- Cut off times and why you need to stay a head of the camels!
- Why it was important for me to run my own race. We also discuss the high points, the low points and handling day 4, the long day (80K - 52 miles)
- How I used gratitude in the race and why I found the finish of the race a bit of a let down
- Why I wouldn’t race the MDS again and what I’ve got coming up next
- My top tips for the MDS & dealing with pressure from the race
- Some final fun questions and what made me emotional after the race!
If you listen to this episode before the 29th April - You can vote for me to be your role model with Panache!
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Special thank you to Saira Khan for being an awesome host of the Tough Girl Podcast!
Jacki Hill-Murphy has always been passionate about having adventures and traveling. Along the way she added her passion for learning more about the female explorers of the past, who have largely been ignored or forgotten by history.
During this podcast we get to learn more about the decisions Jacki has made on the way and how she’s followed her passions for traveling off the beaten track. We start with her first major expedition in 1988 when she traveled through Africa in a Land Rover!
Show notes
- The early years and were she got her love for travel and adventure
- Discussing fond memories from Camp America!
- Her adventure across the Sahara, the reasons behind it, how she made it happen and what she learnt about herself on the journey
- The benefits of travel and why its always about the people and not the places
- Isabella Godin's who was the first known woman to travel the 500 mile length of the Amazon river in a dug out canoe in 1769 and how Jacki is recreating her version of the journey
- Learning about Mary Kingsley's and her adventures in Cameroon. In 1885 she stopped the ship she was sailing on to go and climb up Mount Cameroon!
- Heading off to Yakutia in Siberia to learn more about Kate Marsden and the journey she took while looking for a cure for leprosy.
- The scandal that surrounded Kate Marsden which overshadowed her achievements in crossing Siberia - “Mad, Bad or an Angel - The Story of Kate Marsden”
- Being able to retrace the steps of Isabella Bird, and being able to compare the differences and see the changes that have taken place since the two journeys took place.
- Having an audience with the King of Ladakh
- Using the Valverde Map to look for the Inca Gold, which if found would be worth billions today…. It's never been found, but Jacki believes it’s out there...
- Her future challenges!
- What she's learnt most from the women she’s researched over the years
- The global village and how modern technology has shrunk the world
Books
Adventuresses, Rediscovering Daring Voyages into the Unknown
Jacki is currently writing a biography about the Victorian nurse Kate Marsden
Social Media
Jacki is on twitter @jackihillmurphy - I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL
To learn more about Jacki - Please visit her website - http://jackihill-murphy.co.uk/
Become a Patron! Support the Tough Girl Podcast - CLICK HERE!
Parys is an age group athlete, who has won the World Championships at both the Olympic and 70.3 distances, along with European, British and English National titles. At the age of 38 she decided to turn her passion for triathlon into her profession. Parys is originally from Zimbabwe before she moved over to the UK 14 years ago.
Show notes
- Parys introduces herself and shares more of her life growing up in Africa
- Being a professional hockey player, and the frustration about never quite making it to the national team
- Handling that frustration and what she learned on the way
- Why she decided to give triathlon a try! Even though she could hardly swim, and hadn’t ridden a bike since she was a child
“Thriving on overcoming the pain and digging deep”
- How she has improved her swimming and why its a labour of love. Parys also provides top tips to help you improve your swimming.
- Borrowing a bike and a trisuit for her first race and what she remembers from the experience
- Making the decision to turn professional and why she decided to go for it
- Grey zone training and why you need to avoid it
- The benefits of getting a professional coach involved
- The mental strategies she’s uses to help her cope with the pressure of racing at a professional level
- Being on the start line and how she channels her thoughts
- How she deals with challenges while she’s out racing.
“Power, Love & Self-discipline”
- Why she wants to be tough - Why she wants to be the egg & not the potato!
- How to cope with injury and getting back to full fitness and why you need to focus on what you can do, and not what you can’t
- Advice for women who want to get into triathlon and why you need to break it down and not be afraid of it
- The bucket list races she wants to do
- Top tips for racing in hot conditions
- The role models who have inspired her throughout her life
Check out her website and blog here - www.parysedwards.com
Parys is on twitter at @parysedwardstri I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL
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Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Show notes
- Ragen talks about her childhood, being an athlete, and battling with an eating disorder
- The word “FAT” and why Ragen’s reclaiming it
- The story behind the dances with fat blog
- Why we should decouple the health & body size conversation
- How you can learn to love your body and be happy, whatever your size by having gratitude for your body and what it can achieve.
- Why she made the decision to challenge herself with a marathon - “cross finish line, get medal”
- The “good fatty” V the “bad fatty”
- “What happens if I do something that I’m not good at?”
- The disaster of the marathon and why she wanted to quit with every single step
- Learnings from the marathon experience and how’s she applied it to other areas of her life
- Handling the negativity that’s been thrown at her and how she turned it around and used it to her advantage
- Her next big goal - becoming at Ironman & the steps she's been taking to make it happen
- Dealing with haters, how she copes with online bullies
- Advice for women who may be holding themselves back from going after their goals
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Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Show notes
- Roz introduces herself in her own words and talks through her childhood and the conventional decisions she made along the way.
- It took her 11 years before she realised what she was doing, was not making her happy and how she stumbled into the crazy world of becoming an ocean rower.
- How she made the decision to change her life and the steps she implemented to do it.
- Making the tough decisions to become free
- Getting rid of the possessions that hold you back
- How friends and family reacted to the change in her life and how she got to the stage where she didn’t care anymore about what people thought
- How she went on to develop her own confidence
- Being alert to the opportunities coming available to her
- Heading off to Peru on her first expedition and how taking that first step, led her on a pathway to becoming an ocean rower.
- How not to get overwhelmed by the size of the challenge facing you. Roz gives advice on how you can get past those feeling to go on and achieve your goals
- Her motivation to keep going before she got onto the water and while she was out there rowing
- Getting physically ready for the challenge and the mistakes she made on the way
- The mental preparation she undertook before she even got into the boat and how her mental toughness developed while out rowing - she shares her mistakes, her learnings and how she made it work for her
- Routines, daily habits and systems you can implement to move you forward in your life.
- The highs and lows of rowing across the Atlantic - the challenges she had to face and overcome from broken oars, salt water soars, to the negative voices in her head
- Why she could not quit the race
- How she felt on arriving in Antigua and re-living that moment of celebration and most importantly getting a big hug from her mum!
- Why having a clear vision is so important
- Why she’s so passionate about the environment
- What happiness means to Roz
- Receiving her MBE and what it means to her
- Opting out of corporate life and why companies need to evolve out of the corporate dark ages
You can listen to the Tough Girl Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud & Stitcher!
Roz is on twitter @RozSavage, I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL
Kate is an adventurer, explorer, educator and speaker. She’s completed challenging expeditions all over the world, from cycling round her home country, Australia. To cycling across Africa and Russia.
During this podcast we get to discuss in detail her expeditions, the reasons behind them, what she learnt on the way and how she’s applied that learning to her life. Kate also shares top tips and advice for you in completing your own personal challenges.
Show notes
- Kate introduces herself and shares more about her early years growing up in Perth the most remote city in the wold
- Why she loves to travel by bike and remembering back to her first bike - a Malven Star Dragster!
- Heading off to explore the world at a young age and how she did it, even when she wasn’t confident
- Why structure is important to her when planning cycle routes
- The reasons behind her dream of cycling across Russia in 1993 and becoming the first woman to make the unsupported bicycle crossing.
- How the Trans- Siberian Cycle across Russia came about, from the planning, to finding team mates and communicating before e-mail
- How she built her confidence over the years with tips and advice for you to build your own confidence.
- The problems she faced on the journey from trying to get out of St. Petersburg, crossing swamps, using old US military maps to getting accommodation while on the road.
- What the physical demands were on her body and how she coped mentally with the challenge
- Why its important for you to understand the reasons behind your mission
- Why you should focus on the beauty of your surroundings and why your perception is your choice.
- The power of expeditions and what she’s learned on the way and how she’s applied it to her life going forward
- “GRACE” - The GReat Australia Cycle Expedition
- Being the first women to cross the Canning Stock Route (1,800 km long with over 1000 sand dunes) and the challenges involved and why it was one of the most spiritual experience of her life
- Coping with being alone and why she prefers it.
- Sustainability and why it’s so important for us all
- “Breaking the Cycle in Africa” - 2010 -22,040km journey across Africa from Point des Almadies in Senegal to Cape Hafun in Puntland, Somalia
- The story behind naming the book and film - “Njinga”
- How she found the writing process and why its hard but worth it; her rules for writing and why hope plays such as important role in her stories
- Practical steps you can take to mitigating risk on expeditions from how to carry your money, from what support systems to have in place, from where to camp at night
- The Next Challenge: “Breaking the Cycle - South Pole” - Once completed she will be the first person to cycle across the Antarctic Continent!
“What do you really want to do?”
Learn more about Kate here - www.kateleeming.com
Kate is on twitter @Leeming_Kate come say hi!!I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL
During this podcast interview we get to learn more about Verena, her passion for racing, the challenges she'd faced and overcome and why she does what she does.
She shares, advice, tips and will inspire the listener to go after their own personal dreams.
Topics covered during the podcast interview -
-How she first got into motorsports and how she developed a passion for it
-Going to stunt school and the reason she did that first
-Coping with intimidation when dealing with a new situation
-Being encouraged to try new things from a young age
-What Drag Racing is!
-What’s she's thinking about while racing and how she can overthink things too much
-Why rallying is a whole other ball game
-Working with her co-driver and how she knows how to push her buttons to make her go faster
-Driving with her “ears” and not her eyes!
-Transitioning from being a model to a racing car driver & the challenges she faced.
-Why it didn’t matter what they thought - “This is my dream” & why she had to make it happen herself
-What drifting is and why its so mentally challenging.
-Being in Fast & Furious Tokyo Drift - Why do you drift?! Money, fame, girls?!
-Winning her first Championship in the Red Line Attack Series
-Racing in Rally America & having to find sponsorship
-Tips for getting sponsorship & why you have to keep going for it
-The highs of her racing career & the biggest challenges she had to face and overcome
-Tips & advice for women who are wanting to make a change in their life.
-Why more women should get involved in motorsport.
-Why women can end up talking themselves out of what they’re doing.
-Why women supporting each other can make us all stronger.
Verena is on twitter @VerenaMai you can also learn more from her website
“My life is an adventure. I’m a big dreamer, and believer that anything is possible. When I have a goal, I work relentlessly to make it happen.”
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Jenny Tinmouth is the first female rider in the British Superbike Championship and is the only female rider to be racing!
Jenny is 100% passionate about what she does, you can hear the passion in her voice as she talks about racing and how much fun she has on the track. Jenny enjoys the adrenaline, going fast and competing with the best.
Jenny is down to earth, humble and it was fantastic to get to speak to her in more detail about her career and how she's got to where she is!
During this podcast we also discuss the following :-
- What it was like growing up, and learning what & who influenced her love of motorsports
- Leaving school at 18 and trying to decide what to do next
- Getting her motorcycle license the 2nd time round!
- Working in a local dealership and why she thought they wouldn’t take her on because she was a girl!
- Getting her start in racing and how her journey progressed and the steep learning curve she needed to conquer
- Her ambition and the reasons she kept it quiet
- Sexism in motorsports?
- Having to raise her game and knowing what she needed to do to take her riding to the next level
- The skills needed to be a good rider
- Crashing! Broken bones! Bouncing down the road at 100 mph!
- The IOM TT 2009 Race where she became the fastest female ever, gaining her first Guinness World Record
- How she prepared for the IOM TT and what makes it such a special race
- Dealing with nerves before the race and how she handles them
- Why the “easy laps” are the fastest laps!
- The habits she follows before a race
- Jenny discussing her most challenging season yet and why she almost gave up on her dream.
- The challenge of getting sponsorship and why she struggles when asking for money
- How a change in the scoring lost her, The British Super Sport Cup Championship and she ended up coming 3rd
- Advice for girls who want to get involved in motorcycle racing and why you should just - GO FOR IT!!!
- Starting & running her own racing team - Two Wheel Racing
- How she became a Honda Rider!
- What she gets up to during the off season
- Why fitness become more and more important as the bikes get bigger and faster
- The goals for the 2016 season
Jenny has her own website, she’s also on twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
As a listener of the Tough Girl Podcast you can be rewarded for being a patron & sponsor!
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Tough Girl - Jade Paveley a professional sports car driver for Mazda Motors UK & competing independently in the Motorsport New MSV Championship for 2015/16.
Jade introduces herself and shares more about how she got her start in racing!
We also discuss:
- How her Dad pushed her from a young age to try new things and purposefully put her in situations to challenge her!
- Racing karts at 15 years old and how she found it at that age.
- Moving from karts to race cars when she was 17.
- The differences between racing verses driving on the roads!
- Why self belief is so important not just for racing but life in general - and how you just have to get on with it.
- Explaining the difference between racing and rallying.
- Are women bad drivers?!
- The experience of racing, the highs, the lows, the crashes, the adrenaline and the danger!
- Top tips for getting over her nerves before the start of races.
- Working closely with her navigator, Sarah while rallying and why team work and communication are so important!
- Why its important to look to where you want to go!
- Describing how endurance races work and what some of the tactics are!
- Why fitness is so important, the training she does to keep her in the best physical condition and how that helps her concentration and focus.
- Understanding how formula one works and why there are no female racers.
- Sponsorship for women in the motorsport industry - and why being a female in a male dominated sport has helped her.
- Top tips for driving & why following the speed limits on the roads are important!
- Jade’s career highlights so far, and her goals for the future.
You can follow Jade on Twitter @JadePaveley and like her Facebook page Jade Paveley Racing. I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL
The Tough Girl Blog has reached the finals of the UK Blog Awards 2016! Check out the blog to learn more about the inspirational women on the Tough Girl Podcast. You can also be kept unto date with my training for the toughest footrace on earth - The Marathon des Sables, which I’ll be running in April 2016!
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